Releasable oil well packer



Aug. 15, 1933.

J. H. HOWARD RELEASABLE OIL WELL PACKER Filed Nov. 24, 1930 C]- H.HOWARD$022M m, 45:33. W

abtoz my Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE RELEASABLE01L. WELL PACKEB Application November 24, 1930 Serial No. 497,756

8 Claims.

My invention relates to packers for use in deep wells for oil, gas,water and the like for the purpose of packing off the space between theliner or screen and the lower end of the casing so as to form a seal atthat point.

The most commonly used packers for this purpose are not releasable afterthey have been set in position in the well. This is particularly truewith canvas packers which are most commonly used.

It is an object of my invention to provide a packer which may be readilyset in position in the well but which may be thereafter released andwithdrawn either with or without the extension upon the liner below thepacker.

I contemplate the use with a packer of means which will hold the packerin expanded position when it has once been set but which may be releasedby rotation with a releasing tool so that the device may be withdrawn.

The invention lies in the particular construction and arrangement of theparts making up my improved packer, the construction and arrangement ofwhich will be apparent from the description which follows.

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. l is a central longitudinalsection through a broken section of liner having my invention employedthereon.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the lower end of the packer and aportion of the liner, Fig. 2 illustrating, together with Fig. 1, thecomplete invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the planes 33 and 4-4respectively of Fig. 1.

My device is intended to be mounted at the upper end of a liner section1, the lower end of which is intended to be supported upon the bottom ofthe well. Said liner section is connected through a lefthand thread 2with a collar 3 acting to couple the liner section 1 with the packerbarrel 4.

The packer barrel serves as a support for a canvas packer 5 of the usualconstruction. Its lower end is wired at 6 to the corrugated lower end 7of the barrel. The upper end is wired at 8 to the corrugated lower endof a sleeve 9 having a swivel connection at 10 with the mandrel 12.

The upper end of the packer barrel is formed with a downwardly inclinedbuttress thread 11, adapted to be engaged by slips 13. The upper end ofthe packer barrel is engaged with a collar 14, the upper end of, whichis formed with a coarse lefthand thread for engagement with a tubularmember 16.

The tubular member 16 is connected at its upper end by a collar 17 tothe setting pipe or stem 18, which is understood as extending upwardlyto the surface. The tubular-member 16 is divided transversely betweenits ends and is connected to a nipple 19. Set screws 20 are provided formaking this connection a secure one. The adjacent ends of the tubularmember are formed with inwardly extending flanges 21 to engage over thereduced ends 22 of the dogs 23. Said dogs are adapted to fit within arecess 24 in the outer periphery of the nipple 19. They are pressedresiliently outward by springs 25 which may be best seen in Fig. 3. Theupper end of the nipple 19 has screwed therein a wash plug 26 having apassage 27 therethrough to receive the wash pipe.

The mandrel 12 is formed on its inner face with a tapered seat 28 toreceive the slips 13 which are tapered downwardly to engage within saidseat. Said slips are separated slightly at their adjacent edges toreceive the keys 29, as shown in Fig. 4. This holds the slipsnonrotatable relative to the mandrel so that the rotation of the mandrelwill cause the rotation of the slips and screw them around upon thethread 11 of the packer barrel. The mandrel is also connected to thecollar 14 by means of shear pins 30. These pins normally hold the packerbarrel to the mandrel and prevent relative movement of the two partswhile going into the hole. The upper end of the mandrel is connected toa pipe 31 extending a short distance above the packer and having a pairof opposite J slots 32 therein. I may provide a spacing or packer member33 between the upper end of the pipe 31 and the setting pipe 18, asshown.

In the use of my invention the device is assembled as shown in Figs. 1and 2 before it is introduced into the hole. It is to be understood thatunder ordinary conditions the casing has already been set in the holeand the liner at the lower end of my device is inserted through thecasing and into contact with the bottom of the hole. When in thisposition the well may be washed in the usual manner by inserting a washpipe downwardly through the wash plug 27 and when the well has beenproperly washed the packer may be set.

This is accomplished by unscrewing the setting tool from the collar 14by a righthand rotation of the tool. When the joint 15 has beenunscrewed the setting tool is raised until the dogs 23 are extendedoutwardly by the springs over the upper end of the pipe 31. A downwardthrust of the setting tool upon the pipe 31 will engage the dogs 23therewith shearing the pins 30 and forcing the mandrel together with theslips 13 downwardly along the packer barrel until the packer has beenexpanded laterally to close the space between the liner and the casing.When this has been accomplished thedogs 13 will be in engagement withthe thread upon the barrel 4 and resist any tendency of the packer to bereleased from its expanded position. The setting tool may then bewithdrawn from the hole.

If it is later desired to withdraw the packer a setting tool withopposite studs or pins thereon may be inserted downwardly with the pinsengaging with the J slots 32 of the pipe 31. The pipe may then berotated together with the mandrel to move the slips 13 rotatably aboutthe packer barrel 4 and screw the slips upwardly along the same. Thisrotative movement will be accomplished by an upward pull on the tool soas to maintain the slips in engagement with the threads upon the barrel.The swivel joint at 10 will serve to prevent the transmitting of arotative movement to the packer. As the slips and mandrel travelupwardly along the barrel the packer will be withdrawn from expandedposition and when the upper ends of the slips engage with the collar 14the device may be withdrawn from the hole. If, however, it is found thatthe lower end of the liner is stuck in the well and can not be withdrawna further rotative movement will tend to unscrew the tight joint betweenthe collar 3 and the upper end of the liner section 1, thus allowing thepacker to be withdrawn, leaving the liner in the hole.

The advantages of the construction lie in the simplicity of the devicewhereby it may not easily get out of order in use. The device is also aneconomical one which may be supplied to the operator without greatexpense. The releasing feature is of particular value as it is possibleto withdraw the packer in a positive manner either with or without thelower end of the liner.

What I claim is:--

1. A packer for wells including a liner, a packer barrel thereon, apacker on said barrel, a mandrel having a swivel connection with theupper end of said packer, and means on said mandrel engaging said packerbarrel to allow downward sliding movement of said mandrel on saidbarrel, but to prevent upward sliding movement thereof, said means beingmovable upwardly on said barrel through rotation thereof on said barrel.

2. A packer for wells including a liner, a packer barrel thereon, apacker on said barrel, a mandrel'having a swivel connection with theupper end of said packer, and toothed dogs fitting in a tapered recesson said mandrel engaging said packer barrel to allow downward slidingmovement of said mandrel on said barrel, but to prevent upward slidingmovement thereof.

3. A packer for wells including a tubular memher, a packer barrelthereon, a packer on said barrel, a mandrel having a swivel connectionwith said packer, means whereby said mandrel may be rotated, threads onsaid barrel and slips on said mandrel engaging said threads adapted toslide downwardly thereon but movable upwardly thereon only throughrotation.

4. A packer for wells including a tubular member,'a packer barrelthereon, a packer on said barrel, a mandrel having a swivel connectionwith said packer, means whereby said mandrel may be rotated, threads onsaid barrel and slips on said mandrel engaging said threads adapted toslide downwardly thereon but movable upwardly thereon only throughrotation, and means on said mandrel to communicate rotative movement ofsaid slips about said pipe.

5. A packer for wells including a liner, a packer barrel having aleft-hand-threaded connection therewith, a setting tool having areleasable connection with said barrel, a mandrel connected with saidpacker, means whereby said mandrel may be rotated, and a longitudinalpull exerted thereon, and means on said mandrel adapted to engage saidbarrel and resist relative upward movement of said mandrel, saidengaging means being movable upwardly on said barrel through rotation ofsaid mandmi.

6. In a packer for wells, a packer barrel, a pack:- er thereon, amandrel having a swivel connection with said packer, an inner downwardlytapered seat in said mandrel, slips in said seat slidable downwardlywith said mandrel on said barrel and rotatable with said mandrel thereonand means to rotate said mandrel and said slips.

'7. In a packer for wells, a packer barrel, a packer thereon, a mandrelhaving a swivel connection with said packer, an inner downwardly taperedseat in said mandrel, slips in said seat slidable downwardly with saidmandrel on said barrel and rotatable with said mandrel thereon, saidslips being movable upwardly on said barrel only when rotated and pulledupwardly by said mandrel and means to rotate said mandrel and saidslips.

8. A packer for wells including a liner, a packer barrel connectedtherewith, a setting tool having a releasable connection with saidbarrel, a mandrel movable on said barrel, means whereby said mandrel maybe rotated, and a longitudinal pull exerted thereon, and means on saidmandrel adapted to engage said barrel and resist relative upwardmovement of said mandrel, said engaging means being movable upwardly onsaid barrel through rotation of said mandrel.

JAMES H. HOWARD.

